Stormy Skies
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Bree Tanner is now a part of the Cullen family and faces many new challenges in her life. Then an unexpected encounter causes Bree to question whether she should stay with her new family or move on.
1. Chapter 1

Stormy Skies

Chapter 1: New Beginning

A/N: I thought of this little plot bunny after reading _The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. _I felt that Bree got the short end of the stick when the Volturi killed her and thought she deserved better than that. So, I thought about what it would have been like if Bree had been spared and adopted by the Cullens. What would her life be like if she lived with them? What if she suddenly started having feelings for Edward? How would that change things for Bella? All of these questions will be addressed in this story. It's my first Twilight fic, and I hope that you enjoy it.

Summary: AU. Bree Tanner has now been adopted into the Cullen family and faces many new challenges ahead. When she starts to have feelings for Edward, things get even more complicated as Edward questions his relationship with Bella and whether he's doing the right thing by being with her.

Disclaimer: Bree Tanner and all other characters in the Twilight universe belong to Stephenie Meyer. I only own the plot and am making no money from it.

I stood there with a stunned look on my face as the Volturi granted the request of Carlisle Cullen. For a moment, I thought for sure I was going to be killed by them. I could see that the blonde girl, Jane, really wasn't happy with the decision that Aro made, but there was nothing she could do. She gave me a cold look as she and the others departed after wishing Carlisle good luck in trying to control me.

Carlisle turned to me and smiled warmly. "Well, Bree, welcome to our family," he said graciously. "As you know, my name is Carlisle. This is my wife Esme and our children: Jasper, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, and Edward. And this is Edward's girlfriend, Bella."

I looked at Bella, the bloodlust still coursing through me. Her scent was so intoxicating, and I wanted to grab her at that very moment. However, something in my mood shifted, and the temptation to kill faded a little. I was a bit confused as to how that was happening.

"What's going on?" I asked. "I had an urge to kill, and now I don't have it as much."

Carlisle nodded. "Yes, that's Jasper's doing," he said. "He can change the mood around him. It's one of his special gifts."

"Is he the only one who has it?" I asked.

"Yes, that particular gift is only his," Carlisle replied. "Alice has visions of the future, and Edward can read minds."

"Wow," I breathed. "Do you think I have a special gift?"

"It's possible you might," Carlisle mused. "Have you ever noticed yourself doing something you couldn't do in your human life?"

I tried to think back. "No, not really," I said. "But Fred could. He gave off this powerful odor, and everyone would usually leave him alone. I always stayed close to him so that others would stay away from me."

"Ah, I see," Carlisle said. "Was Fred one of the casualties of the war?"

I shook my head. "No, he left for Vancouver before Riley attacked," I answered. "He was the only true friend I had besides Diego." A pang shot through me at the mention of his name. I just couldn't believe that he was gone now. It didn't seem real that Riley would murder him so callously like that.

"Well, we will discuss more of this later," Carlisle decided. "For now, you need some nourishment as you're thirsty. Jasper will teach you how to hunt. We don't hunt for humans as we have learned to control that bloodlust. Jasper will teach you how to hunt for animals. The blood may taste differently, but it will quench your thirst. Edward, take Bella home. She will have to remain there until Bree can learn to control her thirst for humans. I know it sounds harsh, but I don't want to risk Bella right now."

"I understand, Carlisle," Edward replied. He took Bella's hand and led her away from us. She looked back at me with a look of fear on her face. I looked away because I wanted to make sure I didn't go after her right away. If I wanted to fit in with this family, I would have to do everything they did no matter how hard it was to do so.

"Come, Bree, I'll take you to hunt," Jasper said. The look he'd had on his face before had softened a bit. I could tell he was still reluctant to be doing this, but he knew it was what Carlisle wanted him to do. Jasper moved effortlessly through the forest, and I followed him easily.

"So, what do you remember of your human life?" Jasper asked me.

"Well, I was knocked around by my dad a lot," I answered. "That's why I ran away. I did whatever I could to survive. Then Riley came along and promised me a new life. He took me to the one who created me. I could tell she didn't like me, but she decided to use me anyway. I remember a bite on my neck and then burning pain. That was all I could think of as it happened."

"Did you know much about Victoria?"

"No, we never knew her name as I said before," I responded. "We only saw her when she created us, and that was it."

"Ah, I see," Jasper mused. Then he told me more about his own life and what had happened before he became a vampire. I was intrigued with his story and how he'd managed to survive all of that. It made me think of the Volturi and how they had come close to killing me. I shuddered at the thought until Jasper sent calming energy my way to shroud my fear.

"So, how are we going to do this?" I asked him.

He smiled. "Watch me first," he said. He pointed to a brook where some deer were drinking. "Do you see them?" he asked.

"Yeah, and I can hear their heartbeat and smell the blood," I replied. "It's different than human blood though. Not as intoxicating."

"Yes, it does take some getting used to," Jasper remarked. "Now, watch what I do." He crouched down, hesitated, and then sprang straight for the nearest deer. Before the deer could react, Jasper caught it in his grip and bit the neck. Blood spilled out of it as Jasper drank, making me even more thirsty than I was before. The other deer were frightened by Jasper's sudden attack and started to retreat. I crouched down and sprang at one that was closest to my spot. I managed to tackle it perfectly and bit into the neck. The blood I drank was definitely different, but it helped to quench my thirst.

"Well done," Jasper praised me. "You're a fast learner."

"Thanks," I replied. "I was thinking of going again. My thirst is better, but it hasn't quite been quenched yet."

"If you want to, you can," Jasper agreed. "Sometimes, it depends on the vampire and how much they can drink before the thirst is quenched. I suppose you and I can have one more hunt before calling it a day."

"Great," I said. "Where to?"

Jasper stopped for a moment to listen and smell the air. "I can sense two mountain lions going west," he said. "Let's head there."

I nodded and followed him. Soon, we spotted the two big cats who were loping at a leisurely pace. Jasper signaled to me to go up in the trees, and I followed him. We continued that way for a little bit until we were sure we could get the jump on the cats. At Jasper's next signal, we sprang from the trees, taking the cats by surprise. Jasper managed to bite his with very little fanfare, but my mountain lion tried to put up a fight. I could feel the claws scratching me but stood my ground and fought back until I bit into the neck. The blood felt so good going down my throat, and my thirst had dulled considerably.

"Very good, Bree," Jasper praised me again. "I think you're really starting to learn."

"Thanks," I said again. "So, are we done?"

"Yes, I think we should be done for now, unless you want to try again," Jasper replied.

"No, I'm good for now," I answered.

"All right, let's head home," he said.

As we went through the woods, Jasper asked me more about my life with Riley's coven and what it had been like. I answered as much as I could and told him a bit more about Diego and how he'd been my best friend. Jasper had a sympathetic look on his face, and I could tell he was sorry that I had had to deal with that. I wasn't ready for sympathy yet, and I told Jasper so. He seemed to understand and dropped the subject.

When we arrived at the Cullen home, I was impressed with it. I couldn't believe that the Cullens had such a magnificent home. We arrived inside and were greeted by Alice, who smiled at me warmly and kissed Jasper on the lips. I smiled back and just stood there, unsure as to what I was supposed to do.

"Have a seat," Alice offered as she gestured to a couch.

I did as she asked even though I was a bit reluctant about it. Alice sat next to me while Jasper sat in one of the recliners.

"So, how was the hunt?" Alice asked us.

"It was great," Jasper said. "Bree is a fast learner. She picked up on what I was doing and managed to do it herself on her first try."

"That's great!" exclaimed Alice. "How did it feel to drink animal blood?"

"The smell was different, but I really liked drinking it," I answered. "It tastes different than human blood, but it definitely helps the thirst."

"Yeah, it's always a relief when your thirst is quenched," Alice mused.

Then the blonde haired girl came in to see what we were doing. "How'd the newbie do?" she asked Jasper.

"Newbie?" I repeated. I had heard that name before. Diego had called me one soon after I met him. It took me by surprise to hear the blonde using it.

"It's Rose's pet term for newborn," Jasper explained. "Don't take it personally." He turned to Rose. "She did very well for her first real hunt. She just watched what I did and copied it perfectly."

"Wow, impressive," Rose remarked. "Maybe that's your special gift, Bree. You can mimic what others do by just watching them do it once. You must have been a pretty cool human."

"Yeah, maybe," I replied. "I don't remember much about my human life, but I guess that makes sense in a way. Do you have a special gift, Rose?"

"Yeah, her special gift is annoying the hell out of the rest of us," a voice said from the doorway. We turned to see the burly boy come into the room.

Rose hissed at him. "Real smooth, Emmett," she groaned.

Emmett smiled. "Well, it's true," he replied.

I laughed at their banter. It felt so good to be with vampires who understood me and who could help me. Maybe I could fit in with them. It would take some work, but I knew I could do it. Then something came to me. "Hey, I was wondering if you could explain to me something I discovered with Diego once," I began.

"What's that?" Emmett asked.

"Well, when Diego and I were out once, we discovered that our skin sparkles like diamonds," I told them. "Is that normal for us?"

"Yes, it is," Jasper replied. "That's why we can't be seen in sunlight and why we don't go to school on sunny days."

"You guys go to school?" I asked them.

"Yes, we try to keep up as much of a human façade as we can," Jasper answered. "It usually works well for us. You'll be able to go to school once you learn to control your thirst. It shouldn't be too hard for you."

"Yeah, I guess so," I muttered. I really wasn't looking forward to school at all, which was probably a product of my human life. It just didn't interest me at all, and I really didn't see the point of it. However, I decided I would try it and see what came of it. "So, what happens until then?"

"Carlisle and Esme will teach you at home," Jasper said. "We don't go to school anymore because we've all graduated. But don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine, Bree."

I nodded to show I was listening. Going to school was definitely going to be a challenge, but I would do my best to master it. I had to get rid of my thirst for humans if I wanted to fit in with the Cullen family. For now, the thirst was quenched, but I was afraid that one day, I would give in to my temptation and hunt a human. The thought of that human named Bella and her scent made me squirm a little. What if I couldn't control my thirst enough to satisfy the Cullens? Would they send me away to live on the streets again? I didn't want that and was determined to do all I could to master my hunger. It was the only way I was going to survive and live with a real family, something I hadn't known for a long time.

A/N: So, I've decided to end the chapter here. What did you think of it? Did you like it or hate it? I'd like to think that if Bree had a special gift like the others that it would be the ability to copy someone's action after watching them the first time. My guess is that Bree was a good student when she was a human and could pick up on stuff pretty quickly. It makes sense to me in a way. Feel free to leave a review after you've finished reading. Have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Blurred Memories

A/N: Hey, I'm back with the next chapter. Special thanks goes out to Forks Obsessed for taking the time to review. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story. I really hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

Disclaimer: See chapter one.

"I can't take it anymore, Richard!" the woman screamed. "I won't stay here to be abused by you!"

"Then go, you dumb bitch!" he yelled back. "Take that brat with you!"

How horrible, I thought. How could that woman leave her child? I was watching the scene with my eyes, feeling bad about what was going on. But why was I here, and how had I gotten here?

"You can have her!" she retorted. "I'm done!"

"Mommy, don't go!" a little girl's voice cried. She ran down the stairs and toward her mother. As I looked at her, I saw that she was vaguely familiar. I looked at her dark hair and brown eyes and noticed that she looked like me! Why was I seeing this right now?

The woman—my mother—glared at me then left. I began wailing at the top of my voice, pleading for her not to leave. Then the man—my father—slapped me across the face so hard I fell to the floor.

"Be quiet!" he yelled. "This is all your fault!"

I tried to quiet my sobs, but I couldn't. I was just so sad that my mother was leaving me. As a result, my father kept hitting me for a long time until he got tired of it. Then he left me in a sobbing heap and left the house, probably to go to some bar.

22222

I gasped as I came back to the present. I wasn't in the house on the floor but in a bedroom with white walls and one window. At first, I was confused, but then it all came back to me. I was with the Cullens now. If I'd had a heart, it would've been racing right now. I just couldn't believe what I had seen. Was it a vision or a memory?

There was a knock on my door, and Alice's voice asked, "Bree, are you okay? I had a vision that you were in some distress."

"I'm freaked out actually,' I replied.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure," I answered.

The door opened and Alice came in, a concerned look on her face. No one had ever looked at me the way she did, except for Diego. Once again, that familiar feeling of loss entered me. When was it ever going to go away?

"So, what's wrong?" Alice asked.

"Well, something weird just happened to me," I replied and told her what I had seen. "Am I having visions like you?" I asked when I was finished.

Alice shook her head. "No, what you're experiencing are memories, Bree," she said. "You've kept them at bay for such a long time due to where you were before. But now the memories are coming back. It happens sometimes with us. Jasper still remembers his life and sometimes experiences what you're experiencing now."

"What about you? Do you remember your life?"

"No, not really," she replied. "I know I want to remember my human life, but it's hard for me. I guess it's because of what I went through at the asylum.

"That makes sense," I said softly. "It was too much for you to handle, so your mind sort of erased it."

She nodded, "Yes, exactly. I guess my mind doesn't want to remember."

"I'm surprised my mind doesn't do the same thing," I remarked.

"Well, like I said, everyone's different," she reminded me.

"Yeah, I guess so. Hey, did you see me coming into your family?"

"No, not really," she answered. "I saw you, but I wasn't sure what you would do. There were a few different scenarios that could have taken place. With my visions, I can only focus on one outcome, and the future isn't clear until a concrete decision is made. Once you made the decision to live with us, I could see you better."

"So, you don't see a definite future, do you?"

She shook her head. "No, the future is never permanent," she answered. "It's always changing based on choices people make."

"Oh, I see," I said. Then something came to me. I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do, but I had to know, "Um, Alice, can you see into the past, too?"

"No, Bree, I can only see the future," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was wondering if you'd be able to find out what happened to my friend, Diego."

"I'm sorry, Bree, but I can't do that," she said softly.

I sighed dejectedly. "It's okay," I said softly. "I guess I'll just have to move on and forget about him."

Alice put a hand on my shoulder. "You should never forget about Diego," she insisted. "He will always be a part of you. Are you sure he's dead?"

I nodded. "Yeah, he said he'd meet up with me, but he never did," I answered. "I kept hoping he was alive, but when I didn't catch his scent the day of the attack, I just knew he was gone. He would never abandon me like that."

"Well, maybe he had no choice," Alice reasoned. "Maybe he decided to flee instead of going along with the attack."

"But why wouldn't he wait for me then? Why would he abandon me and not keep his promise?"

"He probably didn't want to encounter Riley," said Alice. "You guys knew more about their plans than the others did, right?"

"Yeah, we did," I responded.

"Well, maybe Diego isn't dead and is in hiding."

"He has to be dead," I insisted. "I just can't get my hopes up about this." That was the only way to look at it. Diego would never run out on me if he had the chance. He would do all he could to make sure I was safe. Riley had killed him, and I was wasting my time by fantasizing that he was somehow alive.

"I understand why you feel that way," Alice said softly. "It must be hard for you."

I decided not to respond to that. "What about Fred?" I asked her. "Can you see what he's doing now? Did he make it to Vancouver?"

"Well, I could find out, I suppose," Alice responded. "What does he look like?"

"He's got blonde hair, and he's tall," I told her.

She nodded and closed her eyes, beginning to concentrate. I waited in anticipation, hoping to receive news of my other friend. After only a few minutes, she opened her eyes and shook her head.

"I couldn't get a vision of him," she reported. "The only time that's happened was with the wolves."

"Fred has the ability to mask himself with an odor," I told her. "When people get near him, they get nauseous and shy away from him. Maybe those wolves you talked about have that ability, too."

"No, I don't think so," she said. "Did you shy away from him, too?"

"No, he protected me," I replied. "I always stayed by him to avoid the others. He saved me from Raoul once when Raoul wanted to fight. Fred helped me to stay invisible when I wanted to be."

"Well, it makes sense that I can't see him," she remarked. "He's made himself invisible to me."

"He's probably afraid that Riley or _she_ will find him and kill him," I mused.

"Riley and Victoria are dead," she assured me. "They won't be going after anyone ever again."

"Yeah, I know," I said. I just wished Diego was with me. He would like the Cullens I was sure. Emmett sort of reminded me of Diego with his joking nature. I had a feeling that if Diego had been here he would've gotten along with Emmett the most.

Alice noticed the look on my face. "Bree, are you okay?"

"Yeah, just thinking about Diego and how he would've gotten along with Emmett," I responded.

Alice laughed. "Yeah, Emmett is one of a kind," she agreed. "I'm sure Emmett would have liked Diego too." Then she looked at me and asked, "Are you okay now?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," I answered. "Thanks for checking on me."

She smiled. "No problem," she replied. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask us. We'll always be there for you."

"Thanks," I said softly. It made me feel good to know that the Cullens cared about me. For so long, I had lived in worlds where no one cared about anybody but themselves. Before I had been changed, I had parents who abandoned me and left me to fend for myself in the streets. Then when I had been changed, I had lived where it was every vampire for himself. The only ones who gave a damn about me were Fred and Diego. And now I had come to another world where a coven of vampires who considered themselves as a family actually cared about my needs. Although I felt guilty for not meeting Fred, I knew he could take care of himself.

"You're welcome, Bree," answered Alice. Then she smiled and left my room.

I sighed and picked up one of the books Carlisle had given me. As I began to read it, I became intrigued with the message within the book itself. I was amazed that a man who was so determined to prove that life could be created ultimately rejected his creation, causing that creation to murder those who the man loved. I began to think more about Victoria and her reason for creating me. All she wanted were pawns for her little revenge plot. She never cared about us, and neither did Riley, despite the fact that he pretended to when he met us. We were tools for them and nothing more than that. To me, they were just like Victor Frankenstein in that sense. The rejected our basic needs and used us for a plan that ultimately failed.

But Carlisle was so different. Yes, he had changed members of his family, but his motive was for good and not evil. He was trying to save their lives so they wouldn't die. He was nothing like Victor, and I admired him for his compassion and the love he felt for his family. It was because of him that I had been spared, and I knew that I owed him a huge debt.

Suddenly, there was a knock on my door, and a voice said, "Bree, it's Edward. Alice told me you were in distress earlier. May I come in?"

I marked my place in the book and said, "Sure, go ahead."

He opened the door and entered my room. I could smell Bella's scent and figured that he had been with her. He smiled as he approached the bed. "What are you reading?"

I showed him the cover.

"Ah, _Frankenstein_," he said. "One of the classic ghost stories. It's a very good book. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, it's good," I replied. "It's really gotten me to think about my own creation and how it was for selfish purposes."

Edward nodded. "Yes, I can see where you would think that," he mused. "You know, in the early days of my creation, I began to question Carlisle's motive for changing me into a vampire. I thought that maybe he was just amusing himself with his theories the way Frankenstein was."

"But he saved your life," I insisted. "Would you have wanted to die of the flu?"

"At first, yes," he replied. "I hated who I was. Did you ever feel that way, Bree?"

"Not at first," I admitted. "I was scared and confused. But once I found out what I was being used for, I really began to hate who I was."

"That's understandable," said Edward. "But in time, I learned to accept who I was. One day, you will do the same."

"Maybe," I said uncertainly. I wasn't so sure about that. "So, I see you've been with Bella. Did you have a good time?"

"As a matter of fact, I did," he said. "But she's become so fixated with wanting to be a vampire. I have tired talking her out of it, but she won't listen. I was hoping maybe you would be able to talk to her about once you've exercised enough restraint to be around her. I'm not saying it will help, but I'm sure it will be a good thing. What do you say?"

"I can try," I replied. "How long do you think it'll take me before I can be around her?"

"I'm not sure," he admitted. For some it can takes weeks or even months. But you're a fast learner, and I'm sure you'll learn quickly how to control yourself."

"So, when are you getting married?" I had never thought that vampires could get married to each other. I wasn't sure if I wanted that for myself. If Diego had lived, then maybe I would, but not now.

"We're not sure yet," he replied. "I was going to suggest we wait until your eyes change color, but that won't be for six months."

"Don't put it off on my account," I protested. "If I have to, I'll just stay inside so you won't have to worry about me going after any of the humans."

He sighed. "Well, if you insist," he said. "We'll see how long it takes you first. Then we'll go from there. How's that?"

"Sounds great," I agreed.

"Good. I'll leave you to your reading. I just wanted to check on you."

"Well, thanks, Edward," I said gratefully. "Next time you see Bella, tell her I said hi."

"I'll do that," he responded. "Have a good night."

"You too," I called back. I picked up _Frankenstein_ and continued to read it. It was nice that the Cullens had accepted me with open arms even though my coven had tried to kill them and Bella. I knew that I would be safe with them and I would do all I could to fit in with them. I would learn to control my thirst so that I could talk to Bella. She really needed to know what it was really like to be a newborn and how dangerous it could be. I was going to make it clear to her that I didn't wish this life on anyone else. It just wasn't the life she needed right now. I decided I would worry about it later and returned to my book once again.

A/N: Wow. I can't believe this was ten pages long. I really like my plans for this story so far, and it's coming along nicely. I'm not sure when chapter three will be up, but I'll try and have it up soon. Feel free to leave a review, and have a shelltastic day.


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